Sport and Leisure

There is a large variety of sport and leisure activities available to those with low vision. Some sports have been specially adapted with revised rules or special equipment to enable them to be enjoyed by the visually impaired. It would be impossible to include everything on this site, but we hope these links will give you a taste of what is available and the encouragement to try some activities yourself.

The charity British Blind Sport www.britishblindsport.org.uk/ works to ensure visually impaired people have access to sport and recreational activities in the UK. Their website has lots of useful information on how to get involved in different sporting activities.

The RNIB website also has useful information on sport and leisure activities www.rnib.org.uk/young-people-free-time/sport-and-leisure.

Metro Blind Sport www.metroblindsport.org/ is a London based charity, creating fun, accessible sport and physical activity opportunities for blind and partially sighted individuals of all ages and abilities.

Goalball

Goalball is a fast paced, action packed, 3 a-side indoor game of attack and defence designed for people who are blind and partially sighted. You can find more information here: www.goalballuk.com/. The non-invasive game is played with an audible ball, on a tactile court with all players wearing blackout eye shades. The aim of the game is to throw the ball (along the floor) into the opposition’s goal while defending your own goal.

Cricket

Blind Cricket England and Wales https://bcew.co.uk/ have been working in partnership with British Blind Sport and the England and Wales Cricket Board since 2006 to deliver competitive cricket for those who are blind or partially sighted, running national and international competitions. On their site you can find details of every aspect of blind cricket from youth development to the national league and cup competitions, as well as the England Men’s Team and the UK Women’s VI Cricket Team.

Tennis

LTA: https://www.lta.org.uk/play/in. This format of the game is different to traditional tennis – it's played on a smaller court with a lower net. Some courts also have tactile lines so players can touch them - and players also use an audible tennis ball that makes noise so they can hear it bounce and being hit.

Golf

Blind golf is a team game comprising a visually impaired player and a sighted guide or caddy. More information can be found on the England and Wales Blind Golf website https://ewblindgolf.co.uk/.